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RICHMOND, Va. -- A pair of supermarket chain acquisitions this year has helped regional wholesaler Richfood Holdings here emerge as a formidable retailer as well. Those acquisitions -- of 45-store Farm Fresh and 37-store Shopper's Food Warehouse -- boost the wholesaler's number of corporate stores to 99, making it the largest food retailer in the Mid-Atlantic, with some $2 billion in retail sales."Two

RICHMOND, Va. -- A pair of supermarket chain acquisitions this year has helped regional wholesaler Richfood Holdings here emerge as a formidable retailer as well. Those acquisitions -- of 45-store Farm Fresh and 37-store Shopper's Food Warehouse -- boost the wholesaler's number of corporate stores to 99, making it the largest food retailer in the Mid-Atlantic, with some $2 billion in retail sales.

"Two years ago, we were approaching a point where there would be unprecedented consolida